Expandable medical anchor device formed of cut metal tube

Abstract

A radially expandable anchor device formed of a cut metal tube is described. The tubular wall of the cut metal tube has a plurality of slits thereon, which together form a plurality of bands. The plurality of slits is configured to allow the plurality of bands to splay outward in the form of overlapping petals when an axial compressive force is applied to the cut metal tube. The cut metal tube may have a combination of radial and non-radial cuts. The non-radial cuts allow the adjacent sections of the tubular wall on opposing sides of the cut to overlap each other when they are pressed together by an axial compressive force, thus facilitating the radial expansion of the cut metal tube.

1 . An anchor device, comprising:
 an expandable tube having a first end region and a second end region, and configured to traverse a perforation in a tissue wall of a body canal and to fit within an interior of the body canal proximate to the perforation, the expandable tube including a plurality of primary slits therein, each primary slit extending from the first end region to the second end region, the primary slits cooperating to define a plurality of bands and each primary slit including:
 at least one substantially longitudinal cut portion; and 
 at least one substantially non-longitudinal cut portion extending from the at least one substantially longitudinal cut portion; and 
   wherein the primary slits are configured such that when the first end region and the second end region are compressed towards each other, the plurality of bands splay outward.   
     
     
         2 . The anchor device of  claim 1 , further comprising an elastic membrane covering the expandable tube. 
     
     
         3 . The anchor device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one substantially longitudinal cut portion and the at least one substantially non-longitudinal cut portion cause each primary slit to have a stepped appearance. 
     
     
         4 . The anchor device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one substantially non-longitudinal cut portion includes two substantially non-longitudinal cut portions. 
     
     
         5 . The anchor device of  claim 1 , wherein each band further includes at least one secondary slit therein, each secondary slit having a length shorter than the primary slit. 
     
     
         6 . The anchor device of  claim 1 , wherein the bands are configured to splay outward in the form of petals. 
     
     
         7 . The anchor device of  claim 1 , wherein the expandable tube is made of Nitinol. 
     
     
         8 . The anchor device of  claim 1 , wherein the first end region and the second end region comprise cut patterns to facilitate radial expansion of the plurality of bands. 
     
     
         9 . The anchor device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one substantially non-longitudinal cut portion extends more than 150° around the expandable tube. 
     
     
         10 . The anchor device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one substantially non-longitudinal cut portion includes at least two substantially non-longitudinally cut portions, and wherein the at least two substantially non-longitudinal cut portions extend more than 150° around the expandable tube. 
     
     
         11 . The anchor device of  claim 1 , wherein the expandable tube includes non-radial cuts. 
     
     
         12 . An anchor device, comprising:
 an expandable tube configured to traverse a perforation in a tissue wall of a body canal and to fit within an interior of the body canal proximate to the perforation, the expandable tube having an elongated central axis and a tubular wall configured to expand radially upon application of an axial compression force along a direction of the central axis; and   at least one non-radial cut in the tubular wall, such that application of the axial compression force results in relative radial motion of surfaces on opposite sides of the cut.   
     
     
         13 . The anchor device of  claim 12 , wherein the surfaces on opposite sides of the cut form a non-perpendicular angle with a plane tangent to an outer surface of the expandable tube at a point of intersection with an outer edge of the non-radial cut. 
     
     
         14 . The anchor device of  claim 12 , wherein the non-radial cut is in a plane that forms an angle of between 5° and 60° at a point of intersection with a radial plane of the expandable tube at an outer edge of the non-radial cut. 
     
     
         15 . The anchor device of  claim 12 , wherein the non-radial cut is spaced from the central axis by a distance of between 10% and 85% of the radius of the expandable tube. 
     
     
         16 . The anchor device of  claim 12 , wherein the non-radial cut produces at least one sharp corner for use in cutting, scraping, grinding, grasping, or rasping. 
     
     
         17 . An anchor device, comprising:
 an expandable tube having a first end region and a second end region, and configured to traverse a perforation in a tissue wall of a body canal and to fit within an interior of the body canal proximate to the perforation, the expandable tube including a plurality of primary slits therein, each primary slit extending from the first end region to the second end region, the primary slits cooperating to define a plurality of bands; and   wherein the primary slits are configured such that when the first end region and the second end region are compressed toward each other, the bands splay outward to form an overlapping petal pattern.   
     
     
         18 . The anchor device of  claim 17 , wherein each band further includes at least one secondary slit therein, each secondary slit having a length shorter than the primary slits. 
     
     
         19 . The anchor device of  claim 17 , wherein the primary slits extend more than 150° degrees around the expandable tube. 
     
     
         20 . The anchor device of  claim 17 , wherein the primary slits comprise a combination of cuts creating a stepped appearance. 
     
     
         21 . The anchor device of  claim 17 , wherein the device is configured such that application of the axial compression force to the expandable tube results in relative radial motion of the surfaces on opposite sides of the cut. 
     
     
         22 . An anchor device, comprising:
 a cut tube configured to traverse a perforation in a tissue wall of a body canal and to fit within an interior of the body canal opposite the perforation, the cut tube having a tubular wall configured to expand radially upon application of an axial compression force; and   at least one cut in a non-radial plane through the tubular wall such that adjacent surfaces on opposite sides of the cut are ramped with respect to each other, and wherein application of the axial compression force to the cut tube results in relative radial motion of the surfaces on opposite sides of the cut.   
     
     
         23 . The anchor device of  claim 22 , wherein the ramped adjacent surfaces are configured to induce the adjacent sections of the tubular wall to overlap each other when pushed against each other by the deformation of the tube. 
     
     
         24 . The anchor device of  claim 22 , wherein surfaces on both sides of the cut form a non-perpendicular angle with a plane tangent to the outer surface of the tube at the outer edge of the cut. 
     
     
         25 . The anchor device of  claim 22 , wherein the cut in the non-radial plane is in a plane that makes an angle of between 5° and 60° with the radial plane where they meet at the outer surface of the tube. 
     
     
         26 . The anchor device of  claim 22 , wherein the distance of the non-radial cut plane from a central longitudinal axis of the tube is between 10% and 85% of the radius of the tube. 
     
     
         27 . An anchor device, comprising:
 an expandable tube having a first end region and a second end region and configured to traverse a perforation in a tissue wall of a body canal and to fit within an interior of the body canal proximate the perforation, the expandable tube including a plurality of primary slits therein, each primary slit extending from the first end region to the second end region, the primary slits cooperating to define a plurality of bands, and each primary slit connected to a serpentine cut on at least one of the first end region and the second end region; and   wherein the primary slits are configured such that when the first end region and the second end region are compressed toward each other, the bands splay outward.   
     
     
         28 . The anchor device of  claim 27 , wherein each serpentine cut forms an s-shape. 
     
     
         29 . The anchor device of  claim 27 , wherein a serpentine cut is formed on opposing ends of each primary slit. 
     
     
         30 . The anchor device of  claim 27 , wherein each primary slit has a step cut. 
     
     
         31 . The anchor device of  claim 27 , wherein each primary slit includes at least one radial cut portion and at least one non-radial cut portion. 
     
     
         32 . The anchor device of  claim 27 , wherein each band further includes at least one secondary slit therein, each secondary slit having a length shorter than a length of the primary slit. 
     
     
         33 . The anchor device of  claim 27 , wherein the bands are configured to splay outward in the form of petals. 
     
     
         34 . An anchor device, comprising:
 an expandable tube having a first end region and a second end region and configured to traverse a perforation in a tissue wall of a body canal and to fit within an interior of the body canal proximate the perforation;   a plurality of primary slits in the expandable tube, each primary slit extending from the first end region to the second end region, the primary slits cooperating to define a plurality of bands;   at least one secondary slit within each band, the at least one secondary slit having a length shorter than a length of the primary slit.   
     
     
         35 . The anchor device of  claim 34 , wherein each primary slit includes at least one radial cut portion and at least one non-radial cut portion. 
     
     
         36 . The anchor device of  claim 34 , wherein each primary slit has a step-cut through a majority of a length thereof. 
     
     
         37 . The anchor device of  claim 34 , wherein each primary slit has a constant pitch throughout a majority of a length thereof. 
     
     
         38 . The anchor device of  claim 34 , wherein the primary slits are configured such that when the first end region and the second end region are compressed toward each other, the bands splay outward.